Christ our RIGHTEOUSNESS

Satan would have us believe that it is impossible for us to belong to God. He wants us to believe that our own personal cause is hopeless. Satan LOVES it when we despair.  Satan will twist and warp passages of Scripture so that we simply give up, and give in to his wickedness.

What is sin? The transgression of the LAW.

Not my words, God's words-

1Jn_3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Can we be forgiven for sinning, for transgressing the law of God?

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Yes. However… we are NEVER to revel in our sins as if they are of non-importance, as if they mean nothing.  We cannot swipe a forgiveness card and have sins taken off our record. It's NOT as simple as muttering a few words and enacting a magic spell of forgiveness.  It isn't merely praying a couple of familiar phrases and saying that is that, as if you are covered in mud and jump in a lake coming up clean.   I say it ISN'T that simple yet we've been taught to believe it IS that simple. That we have the magic words of forgiveness and know how to use them.  We treat forgiveness as something not worth bothering about once we've asked for it and believe we have it.  We get up from our knees, or open our eyes, or simply go about our business after praying as if we KNOW already we are going to sin some more but it's okay, we have the get out of sin free card that never expires.

The thing is…   WHY does God tell us to sin NO MORE, and why are we told things like the following...

1Jn 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1Jn 3:10  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

1Jn 3:11  For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1Jn 3:12  Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

1Jn 3:13  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

1Jn 3:14  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

1Jn 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

1Jn 3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

1Jn 3:17  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

1Jn 3:19  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

1Jn 3:20  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

1Jn 3:21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

1Jn 3:22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

1Jn 3:23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

1Jn 3:24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Did you read all that? Did you note the part about 'whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God'?

We don't WANT to read that part!  We want to do not righteousness and be forgiven.  NOTE the word 'WANT'.  We are knowingly, willingly doing unrighteousness.  How can we do this, and continue to do this without any true repentance that calls us to stop, to do all we can to stop the unrighteousness?

God will NOT be mocked.

Yes, Satan wants us to think our cause is hopeless, but it isn't.

We MUST see Christ in a REAL way, make Him a part of our lives in a REAL active way, not a pretend put on Christ when it's convenient type way. Our Savior WILL forgive us, but He will not be lied to. He will not forgive a person who is truly unrepentant even if they BEG for forgiveness with tears.  Just mouthing the words means absolutely NOTHING.

Heb 12:16  ...as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

His heart was NOT in it! He did NOT want to repent but he wanted forgiveness crying out for acceptance.

We need to cry out for our hearts to be made CLEAN, for our repentance to be REAL, for a real walk- a living, breathing, daily action filled life in Christ!

May the HOLY SPIRIT abide with US! 

May we live FOR CHRIST.

As Satan buffets us unendingly reminding us we're not good enough and never will be, let us pray in all sincerity for our Savior to be good enough for us, living in US, HE is our righteousness, this is the righteousness we must have, HIS righteousness in US! 

Please FATHER…. Please.